Companies rely on advertising to generate millions of dollars in business from independent consumers each year. Companies often employ a variety of advertising techniques, such as electronic (television, radio and the internet) as well as still images (billboards or print media) to disseminate information about their products to potential consumers. In order to be successful, companies must place their information in locations where it will be viewed by the largest number of potential consumers. In order to be successful in the advertising business, companies must develop strategies to reach the maximum number of potential customers with each type of advertisement.
Countless companies place their advertisements on electronic media to be viewed, perceived, or noticed by customers. An example is radio advertisements that air throughout the day on commercial radio stations. This strategy may not be effective as many people switch to a different radio station when commercials begin to air. In addition, as more Americans begin to utilize internet and satellite radio, the power of radio advertisement will further decline.
Many companies also utilize television advertisements to increase awareness about their products. This strategy, while effective, can present a cost prohibitive barrier to many smaller businesses. Companies must not only pay for the airtime on the network, but must also pay to create the commercial. The companies must also investigate the best time to air their commercial so it will reach the maximum number of viewers. Network airtime during very popular shows can be very expensive for a short time slot. In addition, with the advent of technologies such as TiVo® (TiVo, Alviso, Calif.) more people pre-record television shows and subsequently skip the commercials.
Recently, companies have begun to advertise their products on the World Wide Web. Advertisers can purchase space on popular websites to display “banner ads”. Consumers can click on the ad to be directed to the company's website or a retailer of the product. Many advertisers also employ “pop-up” ads that open a new browser window when an individual visits a particular website. Some consumers have found these advertisements to be annoying or intrusive and have employed pop-up blockers to block the advertisements or have switched to internet service providers that do not use advertisements.
In addition to the various electronic advertising strategies, companies also employ still or print advertisements. Companies may employ a variety of media for placement of their advertisements. Companies will often place their advertisements in newspapers or magazines. However, fewer consumers are obtaining their news from print sources as more and more people turn to electronic news sources. Potential consumers may not see the advertisements.
As individuals have become more mobile, companies have turned to the use of large print advertisements displayed in retail areas or along heavily traveled highways. Retailers will often advertise their products within a shopping area, such as a mall, to attract customers to their stores. However, many businesses rely on advertising at locations remote from their place of business. Often these retailers will place advertisements along major highways in an attempt to induce customers to visit their location off of the highway. Technology has advanced within the last decade to allow for rotating billboards. These displays allow for more than one company to place their advertisement on a single billboard, and the image rotates at a pre-determined time interval. Some companies have also begun to employ electronic billboards that display various ads on LED, LCD, or other types of display screens. Rotating and electronic billboards, while more effective than single image billboards, cannot be changed in real time with changes in the area.
In addition to billboards or other signage in retail areas, companies may also use their own delivery trucks to advertise their products while they are in transit. Still other retailers may place their information on independently owned vehicles simply for advertising purposes. Customers can view the vehicles while traveling on the highway, and this viewing can increase brand recognition. Currently, vehicles can be painted with the advertisement or fitted with a billboard advertisement on the side of the vehicle. While many consumers may view the vehicle while traveling on the roadway, the signage is difficult to change if a different message is desired.
Thus a new way of delivering advertising content, as well as other informational content, to consumers and the general public is needed.